1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to refrigerant recovery systems, and particularly to an apparatus for recycling and reclaiming high and low pressure refrigerants in both vapor and/or liquid phases.
2. Description of Prior Art
Due to environmental and fiscal concerns, venting chlorofluorocarbon and halogenated chlorofluorocarbon refrigerants into the atmosphere is not only prohibited by law in most countries, but also by undue expense. In the past, venting occurred when an air conditioning or refrigeration system needed to be repaired and/or have its refrigeration fluid replaced due to contamination. Contamination occurs when moisture and/or burned and acidic lubricating oil mixes with the refrigerants. Contaminated refrigerants and refrigerants containing air are inefficient and inevitably have to be replaced.
Merely replacing the old refrigerant with new is economically inefficient. It is therefore desirable to develop an apparatus which can reclaim and recycle chlorofluorocarbon and halogenated chlorofluorocarbon refrigerants, as well as some of the newer type refrigerants. Many attempts have been made.
Examples of these attempts include U.S. Pat. No. 5,212,959 issued May 25, 1993 to Galbreath, Sr.; U.S. Pat. No. 5,291,743 issued Mar. 8, 1994 to Van Steenburgh, Jr. et al.; U.S. Pat. No. 5,400,606 issued Mar. 28, 1995 to Scuderi; U.S. Pat. No. 5,400,613 issued Mar. 28, 1995 to O'Neal; U.S. Pat. No. 5,359,859 issued Nov. 1, 1994 to Bench et al.; and U.S. Pat. No. 5,226,300 issued Jul. 13, 1993 to Christensen et al.
Galbreath, Sr. discloses a vapor and liquid phase refrigerant fluid processing and transferring system having low and high pressure compressors, a suction regulator and accumulator, an oil separator proximate the high pressure compressor, a condenser, a pair of liquid refrigerant receivers manually selectable by the user, two filter driers, and other auxiliary devices. Galbreath, Sr. does not disclose the automatic selection of two liquid receivers by a particular arrangement of check and block valves and a high pressure float; protection of the low pressure compressor from heat-intensive suction gases passing therethrough by a particular arrangement of an expansion valve, filter drier, solenoid valve, and mixer with sensor; and continuous processing of a refrigerant until the ARI 700 standard mandated by law is reached for resale to a third party.
Van Steenburgh, Jr. et al. discloses a liquid phase refrigerant fluid reclaim apparatus with automatic air purge having an evaporator, oil separator, compressor, condenser, a single storage tank, and a filter drier. The air purge system has the evaporator located within the storage to concentrate noncondensable gases before purging so as to minimize refrigerant losses.
Scuderi discloses a liquid phase refrigerant fluid reclaim apparatus having a strainer, condenser, compressor, two discriminator chambers, a single recovery tank, and other auxiliary devices. The apparatus is designed to prevent liquid phase refrigerant fluid from entering the compressor and for avoiding overfilling the recovery tank with liquid phase refrigerant fluid.
O'Neal discloses a portable purging apparatus that automatically removes air and noncondensables using a cooling coil in a system not unlike that of Van Steenburgh, Jr. et al., with the exception that a thermostat actuates a purging solenoid valve to discharge non-condensable gases.
Bench et al. discloses a vapor and liquid phase refrigerant fluid method for reclaiming and recycling both high and low temperature refrigerants. The method discloses cleaning a vapor phase refrigerant, compressing it, condensing it through a pair of heat exchangers, storing it in a single receiving tank, and recycling it by rerouting the liquid phase refrigerant after it absorbs heat produced by a high stage refrigerant system.
Christensen et al. discloses a vapor and liquid phase refrigerant fluid recycling apparatus, method and system having a fluid filter, an expansion valve, a pair of heat exchangers, a compressor, oil separator, condenser, and a single receiving tank.
Other relevant patents include U.S. Pat. No. 4,903,499 issued Feb. 27, 1990 to Merritt; and U.S. Pat. No. 5,369,959 issued Dec. 6, 1994 to Pfefferle et al.; Japanese Publication Nos. 3-95370 on Apr. 19, 1991; and 4-316973 on Nov. 9, 1992; and Soviet Union No. 1041833 of Sept. 15, 1983.
None of the above inventions and patents, taken either singularly or in combination, is seen to describe the instant invention as claimed. Thus a refrigerant recycle and reclaim system solving the aforementioned problems is desired.